A LOCAL businessman intends to turn a prominent village building into an antiques centre if he is granted planning permission.

Mr Brent Stephenson, who owns the listed Central Buildings in Staindrop, has applied to Teesdale District Council to open the centre at the eastern end of his property.

The development, to be known as Staindrop Antiques Centre, will have an initial six outlets. Dealers have already expressed an interest in trading from the premises, including one selling doors and knobs, a small country furniture dealer, a person dealing in large pieces of china and another in fairground memorabilia.

The building has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks regarding its boundary and the parking of an adjacent trailer. Mr Stephenson said he had sorted the matter of the boundary with the highways department. He was sure village people would like to read that something was planned for Central Buildings which were in a prominent position in the centre of Staindrop.

He did not foresee a problem with parking, as the centre would not be like a shop where people were arriving and departing all the time.

He is taking names of other interested parties who would like to be part of the scheme if it gets the go-ahead from planners, and can be contacted on 0777 336 5043